Can someone please tell me why Obama's performance was so terrible?

[Cant trust em]

He was clearly getting pounded with BS questioning by Gibson and Stephanapoulos and was deflecting their attacks pretty well based on the circumstances. There was nothing in the content of his answers that was bad. I admit that debates aren't his strongest suit and that he usually is somewhat hesitant in his answers. But I felt like he nailed it pretty well several times by saying, essentially, that the American people are smarter than they are being given credit for. While not his best, the performance was far from the abysmal display that some people on here are trying to make it out to be.

If the debate was so bad, then I want to hear some specifics.

[melody]

1. It wasn't -- it was actually excellent

My brother-in-law (military, leaning McCain) is now voting for Obama because of it.

[anonymous171]

2. Seriously?

Good news! :thumbsup:

[ecstatic]

32. I kind of agree. It allowed us to see the true character and integrity

(or lack thereof) of each of the candidates: Hillary, while strong and confident for the first time in a while, did not show Americans that she can be trusted. Meanwhile, Obama, even though he was attacked relentless, showed us, once again, who he really is. From the comments I thought he was crucified, but after watching it myself, I think Obama won. Honestly.

[Window]

33. Wonderful!

I think people are fed up with Hillary and her negativity.

[kentuck]

3. It was terrible because Hillary did not lie about Bosnia...

and the same people that defended her on those comments are now claiming a knockout in this debate. As her poll numbers continue to tank? It's almost like, "I broke his fist with my nose.."

[mrreowwr_kittty]

7. Did Obama mention Bosnia? I don't recall that.

Perhaps you are confusing candidates. However, I distinctly recall Sen. Clinton joining in on the Bitter Gate and William Ayers pile-on.

[Cant trust em]

15. Big ups to Obama for letting her Bosnia comments slide

He could have reamed her on it like she was trying to do to him, but he let it go on another Democrat.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

27. A fact that seems to be lost on the HRC supporter I responded to.

Every attack on Clinton is his fault.

[Jed Dilligan]

34. You should read kentuck's post again

I think it's sarcastic.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

35. Ah, I think you are right. Must read more carefully.

:spank:

[Cant trust em]

43. To Clinton supporters that would be a weakness

You mean he didn't rip another democrat's heart out and show it to her while it was still bleeding? How's he ever going to stand up to the same exact treatment from the right-wing?

[PoliticalAmazon]

30. Hillary proved that the only way she can win against Obama is by FRAUD. n/t

[GarbagemanLB]

4. He stumbled a bit, but it wasn't terrible, like some Hillary supporters would make you believe. He

had some good comebacks when Hillary AND the ABC hosts would jump on him, and he did pretty well overall.

[LSparkle]

5. I listened to the debate on radio first and THEN watched it

While listening, I thought he did really well -- only when I watched
it did I think that he LOOKED tired and somewhat lackluster. His words
were good, but the visuals ... Of COURSE HRC was going to look more
ebullient since she had Georgie and Charlie helping her beat up on
Barack ... but I think especially his comebacks about Bill C. par-
doning Weather Underground members and her own '92 "cookie" statement
were really effective. I agree that it wasn't terrible, but I think
many people were hoping he'd get into the gutter with her and when
he didn't, they were disappointed.

[Cant trust em]

14. the cookie baking thing was excellent

I'm biased, but I felt like his answers were good. He really got after the tabloid media idea.

[Shakespeare]

20. I didn't think he looked tired so much as he looked supremely frustrated and annoyed.

And with good reason.

[LSparkle]

25. Agreed ... annoyed like most of us who were watching

Not leaping over his podium and throttling those two
sad excuses for "moderators" probably required a LOT
of patience on his part.

[earthlover]

38. I was thinking of that this morning driving to work....

Obama really is a decent guy. If it had been me, I would have been tempted to get really ugly at the moderators. But Obama kept his cool, even showed some class. He had a wide open opportunity to bash Hillary about Bosnia, especially when she made the excuse that she was tired. He could have asked her if she would be too tired at 3AM to answer the phone....but he basically let her off the hook. I know if the roles were reversed, Hillary would not hesitate to bash. That is one thing we know she enjoys,

[LSparkle]

40. He tried SO hard to get them to move on to issues ...

and after a while, he probably just wanted to yank off his mic and leave ...

[Cant trust em]

42. He let the Bosnia thing slide because he's a good democrat

He knows that we all lose by busting it out for the lie that it is. He's a better person than I am.

[lojasmo]

6. Clintonista spin. EOM

[PoliticalAmazon]

8. It wasn't,. He was outnumbered 3:1, and he performed very, very well. n/t

[Texas Hill Country]

13. ummm...not, uhhh, really.... I... uh, dont think so.

[PoliticalAmazon]

29. Staphylococcolus, Gibson and Hillary against Obama = 3:1....

...and that's the only way Hillary can win: by fraud.

[Texas Hill Country]

9. read here....

article posted here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5555648


http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/obama_shaken_rattled_and_rolle.html

[Cant trust em]

24. as I said, it wasn't a sparkling debate

but there's no way it was as bad as that column portrayed it to be. Most importantly, it's tough to sound impressive when you're answering questions about flag pins, 40 year old radicalism, and if your reverend loves America enough.

[PoliticalAmazon]

It was a FRAUDULENT debate, the only kind Hillary can win against Obama. n/t

[PoliticalAmazon]

31. It was a FRAUDULENT debate, the only kind Hillary can win against Obama. n/t

[featherman]

10. It wasn't

[progdog]

11. It wasn't

The pundits just want folks to think it was. They want to portray him as wimpy. I'll say it again, they are irresponsible fools.

[AtomicKitten]

12. I thought he did really well and especially was presidential in his cool & calm demeanor.

[Tribetime]

16. I thought he was fine ...I thought the questions were from the

Jerry Springer Show. The only ones who didn't think he performed well wouldn't vote for him anyway. If anything I think people will see thru this and how much he's been attacked non-stop since mid Feb. Watch the polls stay the same or even give him a little bounce in the next few days. People aren't as stupid as what the MSM thinks they are.

[watrwefitinfor]

41. Please don't insult Jerry Springer.

:hi:

In fact, I caught a little of Maury this afternoon, and got the impression he and Jerry would have had much better, more intelligent questions than the two bozos from ABC.

Wat

[RazBerryBeret]

17. I thought he did pretty well,

He had some great lines and comebacks. I did think he looked a little pissed a couple times, which I thought might hurt him...but she had some crazy grin on her face the whole time with shifty eyes when she answered the first few questions....

[earthlover]

39. Hillary's eyes looked up into the sky at times....looked wierd to me

[JBoy]

I noticed that too. She wasn't making eye contact with anyone!

[JBoy]

46. I noticed that too. She wasn't making eye contact with anyone!

[BobRossi]

18. He is just a kid.

No real-world experience. I truely wish he would have waited 2 more election cycles, I think he has the makings of a great leader but he is just not ready.

[Lucky 13]

37. Are you being serious?

[greguganus]

19. He did fine. It's just the Hillbots with fake tears in their eyes that can't see the truth. n/t

[Raine]

21. Cause the M$M says so

that's why. :eyes:

[GoesTo11]

22. Because he was forced to defend Wright and flag pins and bitter

True, this was inevitable, given that these were the questions that Steph and Gibson prepared. But some of the soundbytes in MSM news seem to be that he struggled simply because these topics were discussed. This isn't logical, but it's some of the spin.

[ksoze]

23. he did not have his cheering audience with him

he is probably a really good guy, but his shock over being asked questions he did not want to answer took him off his footing for the rest of the debate. If he does that in the GE with the rethugs, we are hosed.

[pinkpops]

26. As of late last nite Stephanapoulos was saying there was no

sure "winner". Today the ABC spin is that it was bad for Obama. I think he did very well. Most of Clinton's scunge is probably behind her, with resurection of old stuff expected in the GE, so all they had to throw at her was the trustworthiness such as snipergate.

Mostly it was a non-event, but the excerpts will no doubt be replayed over and over by various interests to influence whomever lets them do so.

[bowens43]

28. HIs performance wasn't terrible.

It wasn't his best but it was still far better then Hillary's performance in any of the debates.

[Lucky 13]

36. He STAMMERED!!

He seemed to lose his focus a bit, said eh, ah, um. You know... stammering. It means you lost, apparently.

What really happened:
The lights came up, the debate started, and Barack realizes he's just walked in to an ambush.

On a live nationally televised Presidential Interrogation...er.... Debate.

That's some serious motherfucking pressure.

He coulda freaked out. I would have. I would have shouted, "This is bullshit!" , kicked over the podium and stormed off.

But not our guy.

He withstood it. He answered every question. Took every punch. And all he did was stammer.

THAT'S the man I want making some decisions around here.

[Hoof Hearted]

44. Uh. . .. uhhhh. . .uh.. .. I .... I...I. . . I ... . .uh.. ... .. I . . . uh.. . .uh...uhhhhh

I dunno.

[RBInMaine]

45. He was poised and held his own just fine. MANY answers were very good. He did fine !

[McCamy Taylor]

47. His performance was fine but tell me he didnt say no more debates, please

That is going to cost him so much in the general it is not funny.

[Cant trust em]

50. I didn't get that.

Did you read this somewhere?

[bigwillq]

48. It wasn't.

He did fine.

[NC_Nurse]

49. The debate moderators were terrible. It's just sad to see the MSM sink to

such depths. If this is the kind of crap they're going to talk about, I'd just as soon not have any more debates.
He can debate McCain in the GE. Maybe they can leave ABC off the list of hosts. They absolutely suck.